NORFOLK, VA—ODU sophomore Keenan Palmore hit five free throws and junior Dimitri Batten added two in the last minute of play to lift the Monarchs (10-10/4-1) to a 70-64 C-USA win over Tulane (11-10/3-3) Saturday night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center on Basketball Alumni and Coaches vs. Cancer Night.

The Monarchs are tied with UTEP for third, both are 4-1, while Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech are 5-1. League results are listed below.

Four Monarchs scored in double figures led by Aaron Bacote with 16, followed by Dimitri Batten with 15, Keenan Palmore with 14 and Richard Ross with 10. Batten scored 10 first half points while Bacote and Palmore scored 10 each in the second half.

The Monarchs led, 32-25 at halftime and by as much as 11 after a 12-5 run which gave the Monarchs a 49-38 lead with 10:48 left in the game. ODU would then go on a 9-2 run to build the lead to 15, 58-43 with 6:02 left in the game after a three-point basket by Bacote.

Tulane would mount a rally down the stretch, cutting the lead to six, 63-57 with 1:01 left on a trey by Jonathan Stark. Keenan Palmore hit two free throws to up the lead to eight, 65-57, and after two Batten free throws, ODU was back up ten at 67-57 with 35 seconds left.

Tulane's Louis Dabney hit a three-pointer and after an ODU missed free throw, Jay Hook drilled a trey to make it, 67-63 with 15 seconds left. Palmore hit the second of two free throws to put ODU up five, 68-63 and after Louis Dabney hit one of two free throws for the Green Wave, Palmore knocked down two more free throws for the 70-64 victory.

The Monarchs shot .491 (26-53) from the floor and held Tulane to .388 (19-49). ODU also only committed 10 turnovers to the Green Wave’s 17 and the Monarchs scored 21 points off them.

Tulane was led in scoring by Jonathan Stark with 21 points, followed by Louis Dabney with 17 and jay Hook with 14. The Green Wave outrebounded ODU, 35-33.

ODU freshman forward Denzell Taylor led all rebounders with eight on the night, followed by Richard Ross with seven and junior forward Joe Ebondo with six. Kevin Thomas and Tre Drye led Tulane with seven boards each.

Aaron bacote and Keenan Palmore both dished out four assists, while Palmore, freshman Jordan Baker and Ebondo each had two steals.

The Monarchs hit the road next week with games at UAB on Jan. 30 and at Middle Tennessee State on Feb. 1.